Air line passengers
Domestic carriers are hoping o fly 11% more passengers this year thanks to government efforts to boost demand. This is compared to the 3.3% growth of last year.
The ministry said on its website that the volume of cargo and mail will grow by 8% to 4.37 million tons, compared with 0.2% growth last year.
China’s civil aviation regulator will introduce policies to stimulate the domestic aviation industry.
The efforts include setting up express routes to compete with the high-speed railway to link Beijing and Shanghai, increasing the number of flights and bolstering regional airlines.
The country will also invest between RMB80 billion(US$11.7 billion) and RMB100 billion in infrastructure this year with 22 key projects, including the renovation of Shanghai’s Hongqiao Airport and enlarging the flight zone at Tianjin Binhai Airport.
The Civil Aviation Administration of China will waive several fees and taxes, worth a total of RMB4 billion, that airlines would have had to pay.
The CAAC has urged carriers to cancel or postpone plane deliveries due next year as the cooling economy dampens travel demand. Airlines have also been asked to park unnecessary planes, retire old ones and return aircraft leased overseas.
Source: China View